2010 Honda Fit Sport

First place: Ego Shrinkers.

We’ve determined that Canada was designed by persons with absolutely no sense of urgency. Why else would it have a 62-mph speed limit (100 km/h) on the major highway running through its most populous province? Canadian drivers, however, must have a Yankee-like contempt for speed limits, as traffic mostly flowed near 80 mph. Fortunately, the Honda Fit had no problem going with that flow, thanks to a strong, responsive engine and a relatively short fifth gear. The Fit gets up to highways speeds 1.8 seconds quicker than the Fiesta, going from 0 to 60 in 8.3 seconds. The trade-off with short gearing is higher revs, which, in ­theory, means greater fuel consumption and increased cabin noise.

Objectively, the Fit is louder, but the engine noise isn’t annoying. And despite getting the poorest ratings of the three in the EPA’s fuel-economy tests, the Fit finished first in our real-life driving (at 34 mpg), albeit by a slight margin of 1 mpg more than the Mazda and 2 mpg more than the Ford.

Though the Fit is certainly an economy car, it was clearly designed by folks who like to drive, as evidenced by quick, precise steering that makes it easy to dart from side to side in corners. But we’re disappointed in the 197-foot braking distance from 70 mph, 11 feet longer than a 5700-pound Dodge Ram 1500.

Though all three cars look to be of similar size, there are big differences with the Fit. It is relatively cavernous inside, with its innovative folding rear seat that drops all the way down to the load floor to open up cargo space. In the upright position, the Fit’s rear seat is the most comfortable as well. None of these cars can comfortably seat five adults, but the Fit does the best job with four on board.

In the driver’s seat, all the controls are within easy reach. Drop your right hand off the steering wheel, and it pretty much falls onto the gearshift lever. Only the Fit came with a right-side armrest, a luxury in this segment. Our single gripe about the seat is the overly aggressive lumbar support.

A low beltline and acres of untinted glass make the Fit feel like a greenhouse. The airiness works to fight little-car claustrophobia, but the air conditioning struggles to keep up with sunlight while the engine is at idle. At speed, you can hear the A/C compressor cycling on and off every 20 seconds as, we suspect, part of a fuel-saving scheme.

The giant, cab-forward windshield also doesn’t do the Fit any favors in the styling department. The looks of this Honda are positively dorky. But appearances are deceiving.

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*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.